Chapter 28
Ipropel myself through the air like a bright spear of light, beating my wings hard enough in the sky to create a storm of chaos below. My heart races, and with each new star that marks the night sky, I fear I’m too late.
It dawned on me that I believe this whole situation has been a twisted test from the Elders to see what we can do. I suspected they had hopes of one of us dying, and after Crew’s confession about his relationship with Carver, I know they don’t care if we live or die.
Carver and Lowell are, in fact, trying to cheat death. As long as the current Grim is gone and they have their information, nothing else matters to them.
And though I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen, I still feel the icy touch of death—as if it’s inches from driving its claws into my heart.
But what Lowell doesn’t know is that I’m bound to another now, and the knowledge of Lowell being out of my system makes me fly faster toward Crew.
The town passes under me like an illuminated blip on a map, and I push myself toward the far end of town—the warehouse district where the folders stated the Voids would be. However, one thing that was left out is that this isn’t just one small group of Voids—it’s an entire hive.
The large warehouse comes into view, and I slow my speed, glancing around for any sign of Crew, praying he hasn’t gone inside.
The roof is empty, the warehouse is dark, and my anger grows like the vines wrapping around the building, but this time it doesn’t threaten to suffocate me—it pushes me harder.
I land on the roof, my feet quickly halting, and lower myself to my knees to remain as stealthy as possible.
The eerie silence causes my hair to stand on end as I note the only door leading into the building, positioned in the far corner and tucked into a pocket of shadows.
I sneak forward, grab the gun from my belt, and carefully attach the suppressor, then click off the safety.
I glance over my shoulder, making sure I’m alone before moving forward. I pause for a moment, listening, but silence is the only response I receive.
My hands find the doorknob in the darkness, and I push open the heavy metal door.
A creak sounds through the stairwell, and I cringe at the noise, but silence envelops me as I step inside.
An obscurity clouds my vision, and the winding stairs lead into a pit of despair.
I focus, pushing aside any hesitation, and step into the darkness with my gun ready and my heart calm.
I travel down until I can’t imagine there is anywhere else to go, and I pause, placing my back against the wall.
The metal stairs tower over me, and I can barely see the moonlight peeking through the door that seems miles above.
The unnerving silence makes my ears ring, and I don’t like anything about this.
If this is truly where the hive is for the Voids, surely I’d hear something? Yet relief floods me at the silence, meaning Crew isn’t screaming in pain.
But I fucking pray he isn’t dead.
I concentrate on the steady flow of blood through my veins and think of him, hoping this new bond can help me find him.
I focus on the feeling within me that resembles a golden ball of light, connecting us in ways I can’t explain.
Nothing responds, as if the bond is weak, and my heart aches at the memory of Crew’s last words—as if he’s rejecting it entirely.
A single metal door lies ahead as I reach the bottom of the stairs. I creep forward, letting my assassin training kick in, and I inhale before slowly pushing against the door. It opens with ease—not a good sign—as if they are leading me somewhere.
My mind travels back to the night I was arrested.
I found myself in a similar setting with similar people as I went after Sam Haber, the Elder, before Lowell took over his role decades ago and changed everything.
Lowell despised him, and when I received the assignment to take him down, Bronwyn knew it was a terrible idea.
I disregarded her concerns and prepared to leave that night while she cried in my bedroom.
I knew the assignment was out of spite for Lowell’s hate—I knew it wasn’t an order given by the High Elders—but I didn’t care, and neither did Lowell. He said to go, and I listened. Thinking back on that night, everything seemed off.
I crept into Sam’s house while he was asleep, stabbed him in the chest with an ancient blade, and was found standing over his dead body by Riggs, his son.
I couldn’t escape as the police surrounded me, and as hard as I tried, iron chains were thrown around me, dulling every ounce of power coursing through my veins. The rest is a blur.
I know Lowell sold me out, needing to punish me for all my mistakes.
Lowell has a way of manipulating everyone around him, and to him, it’s always an eye for an eye situation.
I was arrested and chained up for a year to please the High Elders because of my outburst. I never saw the blade again, and that’s when everything changed.
I knew I was expendable—merely a weapon employed by Lowell when he saw fit.
I creep through the threshold of the vast room before me. No lights cast shadows around the space, and a stillness sits in the air, making my hair stand on end. I quickly scan my surroundings and see three exits. I can work with that. I move my back against the wall and collect my thoughts.
Where would Crew go?
A door is positioned immediately to my right, and I look around the frame to reveal a hallway of closed doors. Across the room to the left is another open door, and far ahead stands a larger double door. Crew wouldn’t have chosen the obvious entrance, so I let the bond attempt to talk to me.
I cross the wide space with my gun held in front of me and move toward the door in the middle, peering my head into the open doorframe, only to see a small room with four chains adorning the wall. Another chill runs through me, and I turn back toward the large room.
My steps echo as I hold my breath and move toward the farthest door, thinking this is exactly where I don’t need to be. A loud crash sounds from behind the double doors, causing me to jolt and step forward, distracted by the noise. I approach the double doors and inhale deeply.
Another long hallway stretches into absolute darkness.
I close my eyes and focus on Crew, moving forward while keeping my steps silent.
One thing the Voids may know about me is that I’m skilled, silent, and deadly, but they sure as hell don’t know the torture I’m willing to inflict when I’m pissed off.
And, unfortunately for them, I’m furious.
My gun extends from my arms as I pass each open doorframe, revealing only darkness. A bead of sweat forms on my brow as I look toward a door in the distance. Crew is in there. I know it.
Anxiety pools in my stomach like a sick weight, and a new fear forms within me. I think maybe if I can’t feel the bond, it’s because he’s dead, and I nearly vomit. My steps quicken, and the closed door comes into my line of sight.
“Crew?” I whisper as I step into the room.
Silence.
He’s here. I know it.
The wide space is cold, and everything echoes throughout it. Chains hang in the distance, and I can hear a faint water drop loud enough to jolt my system every time. A single busted window sits high in the corner, casting a silver light that barely illuminates the space.
“Bannermin,” I say, louder. “I’m going to kick your ass for leaving me.”
The sound of footsteps echoes behind me, and I spin to see the shadowy outline of a man standing in the doorway.
I lift my gun and step back, nearly tripping over something against the wall. My feet touch liquid, and my stomach drops as I smell the familiar scent of blood.
The figure steps forward and flicks on a light, illuminating the space around me.
My eyes sting from the sudden burst of brightness, and I realize I’m standing in blood.
And from the familiar smell and tingle of it within my own system, it’s Crew’s.
I glance over my shoulder to see him strung up against the wall, iron chains wrapped around his body.
His head slumps forward, and I check to make sure his chest still rises and falls, but barely.
I slowly turn my gaze back to the figure and tighten my grip around my gun.
Riggs Haber.
“What the fuck is going on?” I seethe.
“Interesting how we always run into each other.” He smiles. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mara. I’m here to talk.”
“I have a hard time believing that Riggs,” I snap.
He laughs. “Always so untrusting. Maybe you should be more like her, Bannermin. He practically walked in here with zero hesitation. I mean, I guess I understand, since we’ve been in talks with him for a long time.”
I glance back at Crew as I hear a muffled groan leave his lips.
“We?” I jerk my gaze back to Riggs.
“My father and I, of course,” he responds.
My jaw drops as I watch another figure come into view, a shock wave coursing through me as the light illuminates his face.
Sam Haber walks into the room, taking the place next to his son.
Their striking resemblance astonishes me—they could be twins—and it takes me a moment to remember that after all these years, Sam has stopped aging while Riggs has continued.
Their dusty blonde hair shines in the lighting, and their jawlines are identical.
The only difference is the aura surrounding the Elder compared to that of his fully human son, Riggs.
No. He’s dead.
I killed him.
“Hello, Mara.” His angelic voice moves through the room, and my entire body goes rigid. “Surprised to see me?”
I don’t respond.
“I figured you would be. I’ve been excited about this exact moment for nearly a year. Though your silence is a bit underwhelming.”